July 15 through July 17, 1994  Submitters from all over the world came together for the 9th annual conference of the United Submitters. This year our conference was held on the beautiful campus of Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. We began by sharing a wonderful buffet lunch, and an even more wonderful and nourishing Friday Congregational Prayer, led for us by brother Abolfazl Firouzi of Atlanta. Brother Abolfazl’s inspiring khutbah set the tone for the whole conference.

In his opening remarks, Abdullah Arik reminded us that we came together to worship God alone and to be with the believers. Any differences we have in this, our real family, are minor and worldly. There is only one source to worship, and one source to follow…God and the Quran. We must be careful to treat each other well, even in our disagreements. Only God knows the belief in each heart and He guides accordingly. We must be very patient and tolerant of each other, and become examples for the rest of the world. We can only do this by truly living submission. As for the disagreements and varying opinions in different communities, it is unavoidable and part of the test. We should try to hold fast to the rope of God as best as we can, and ask him to help us stay in the right path. He reminded us Verse 5:105 of the Quran: “O you who believe, you should worry only about your own necks. If others go astray, they cannot hurt you, as long as you are guided.” He closed his remarks with a beautiful prayer.

Parivash then recited most beautiful Al-Fatehas for us, first in Arabic and then in Farsi.

We had two Masters of Ceremony, Chris Moore and Yasser Elkadi. Chris began by having everyone introduce themselves and then called the community representatives to speak. We had reports from the many communities with members attending this year’s conference.

Our first formal speaker was Carol Qureshi. She shared excerpts from an article in the London Sunday Telegraph, regarding the unquestionable prejudice against Islam. And she told us about a chapter from The Great Reckoning entitled “Muhammad Replaces Marx,” which proposes that Islam will replace Marxism as the perceived enemy of the West. Since population growth in Muslim countries far outstrips that of the West, Carol suggested that it may be God’s plan for the West to fight fire with fire, fighting the false Islam with true Islam. It is our duty to spread the message of what true Islam really is.

Our next speaker was Karim Jaffar who is 17 years old. He spoke with poise and wit. He talked about trying to deliver the message to people he met. Using an analogy of cutting down a tree with a pocket knife, which might eventually be successful, or using a chain saw which gets right to the point. His idea of cutting to the chase was to go right to the miracle, and “wow” people. Then, of course, it is up to them to hear or to be deaf.

 

Lorry Sierras began her talk with Verse 49:13: “…The best among you is the most righteous…” We are all here to grow and develop our souls, and we will all be at different stages at different times. We have the Quran, and each of us will be guided with it in an individualized and personalized way. This is a great blessing, and can also be a test. It is a test when we do not understand that others may have a different understanding; then the ego gets involved. She reminded us of the verses 45:17& 42:14 that people did not dispute among themselves until the knowledge had come to them. It is idolization of the ego which creates divisions into sects. Satan’s system is to try to divide us. We must treat each other in the best possible manner to avoid his trap.

Hossein Kowsari’s talks at our conferences are always inspiring and this year’s was no exception. A title for the talk might be “God’s attributes” and as Hossein said it was appropriate for us to reflect on those attributes, as explained in the Quran and to be among those who “remember God while standing, sitting, and on their sides, and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth…” [3:191]. Hossein discussed the oneness of God as contrasted to the necessary polarity of all other things in creation and the concept of God as Rabb (Lord) of all things but Mawlaa (Protector) only of the believers. Overall, the talk was truly a glorification of God’s sovereignty and great majesty, and was a wonderful reminder for us all.

This rest of the first day was taken up with dinner, prayer, group discussion, Quran recitation and socializing.

Reports on the conference and the presentations will be continued in the coming issues, God willing.

Many thanks to all the sisters and brothers, who attended the conference, and contributed its success. Special thanks to our brothers and sisters in Vancouver who organized the conference. May God reward everybody for their time and financial sacrifices, and for their genuine effort to be with the submitters to God alone.

Mathematical Conference

Before the annual conference of United Submitters, a conference on the mathematical miracle of the Quran was held on July 13-14. The speakers were Milan Sulc and Ali Fazely. The majority of the audience were people who were exposed to the mathematics of the Quran only recently. The talks generated great interest and a lot of discussions.

Conference

We are planning to hold next year’s United Submitters Conference in Tucson, Arizona, God willing. The preliminary date is set to August 18-20, 1995. However, we want to hear from you, especially if these dates are not suitable for you. Please let us know any suggestions you may have as soon as possible.